Jewish women at wig salon discuss why they shave their heads | Clip from Documentary ‘93Queen’
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- Опубликовано: 6 янв 2024
- A fascinating clip from the documentary ‘93 Queen’. The documentary is about Ruchy Freier’s quest to start a female-led EMS in the Hasidic community. In this clip, we see how Hasidic women think about the unusual custom of shaving the hair. Outsiders have a tremendously hard time with the lack of “explanations” for why the custom is practiced, but again and again I come across a completely different perspective among Hasidic women, who themselves don’t feel the need to have a rational explanation. The fact that it is practiced is valuable in and of itself. And the lack of an explanation is in a way, seen as an act of faith.
I tend to believe that in the larger Society acts of tradition are rationalized rather than necessarily understood. I believe that humans value many traditions just for the sake of its continuity, and that the “explanations” are often only a front to create a satisfying narrative to make the tradition tenable in an age in which tradition for traditions sake is no longer accepted. But these Hasidic women have no compunctions about practicing tradition as an act of faith, and I find it really fascinating. And the fact that outsiders refuse to accept that this is a reason Hasidic women practice this custom is another layer of fascinating.
All of the comments here so far are very interesting. People have a very hard time accepting that rituals are practiced without an explanation. Many of you offer explanations as a way of making sense of it, but I feel like the way the women in this video explain it is the closest to how everyday Hasidic women experience head shaving; it's not necessarily what they think about, they can be self-deprecating and don't feel compelled to produce fancy answers to make sense of old customs. I wonder: is it possible for non-Hasidim to appreciate that not knowing why it's practiced is also a valid answer?
Here's my comment as I wrote in the video description:
A fascinating clip from the documentary ‘93 Queen’. The documentary is about Ruchy Freier’s quest to start a female-led EMS in the Hasidic community. In this clip, we see how Hasidic women think about the unusual custom of shaving their hair. Outsiders have a tremendously hard time with the lack of “explanations” for why the custom is practiced. But again and again I come across a completely different perspective among Hasidic women, who themselves don’t feel the need to have a rational explanation. The fact that it is practiced is valuable in and of itself. And the lack of an explanation is in a way, seen as an act of faith.
I tend to believe that in the larger Society acts of tradition are rationalized rather than necessarily understood. I believe that humans value many traditions just for the sake of their continuity and that the “explanations” are often only a front to create a satisfying narrative to make the tradition tenable in an age in which tradition for tradition's sake is no longer accepted. But these Hasidic women have no compunctions about practicing tradition as an act of faith, and I find it really fascinating. And the fact that outsiders refuse to accept that this is a reason Hasidic women practice this custom is another layer of fascinating.
What is fascinating for me about this,is that public,I mean secular people are so disturbed by this custom (fortunatelly not by buddhist nuns. Maybe Netflix doesnt know about them). Well,I dont understand why they keep doing it (and force other women to do it),but if those women like to do it,than let them (let them make their own choice).
Traditions are usually not very rational. But anyway, you cannot be all the time 100% rational and make only logical decisions. Sometimes it is good to be irrational and make intuitive decisions,unless it hurts others.
So well said.
Interesting to say the least! Thank you
Bottom line is who would check under my wig if I’m shaved or not!!! A woman can’t have hair shown period!! Where does the shaving part come in!
It’s much easier as well as more comfortable to wear a wig if your head is shaved, or at least if your hair is closely cropped. That seems explanation enough to me.@@judithmagertmoskovits4268
All these "traditions" were maybe necessary, 2000 years ago. For example, having kosher dietary laws. Food poisoning was the kiss of death back in those times. We now have refrigerators. Same with shaving of the head. Lice were a big problem. We now know how to keep lice away or how to get rid of them. Religious fascination with a woman's hair is the center piece of many religious denominations, from the Amish, the Mennonites, to the extreme Southern Baptist. To never cut it, to covering it, to making it curly and wavy. I applaud the courage it must take to leave this all behind.
I'm confused by this comment. Kosher laws are just that: laws, not customs. And they have nothing to do with avoiding food poisoning.
I still don't understand this practice of removing one's natural hair only to replace it with "fake" hair; but I do find it fascinating.
That is the decree of their Hebrew sky daddy!! PERIOD. No logic or rationality needed.
I remember reading how Ancient Egyptian did the same, but due to sweaty climate and bug infections...
@@LordMountbutter The Ancient Egyptians also used to do circumcisions, way before the Jewish religion was even manifested.
I have a feeling that the ancient Egyptian religion together with the Pagan Semitic traditions prevalent in Levant, Arabia and Mesopotamia together with Zoroastrianism of Iran were the combined ancestors of Judaism.
And of course, Christianity is nothing but an European (primarily Roman) plagiarization of Judaism with the New Testament of Jesus added to the Torah (Old Testament).
Finally, Islam is nothing but an Arabic rehash of Judaism admixtured heavily with Pagan Arabic beliefs and rituals.
@@LordMountbutter That makes sense...a practical reason.
@@LordMountbutterYes, that probably had a lot to do with it. But also because, if you’re going to wear any kind of head covering, having your hair shaved makes it much easier as well as more comfortable, especially in a very hot climate. I remember in the HBO series Rome (not that I’m claiming it’s historically accurate) in which the character Queen Cleopatra always has short-cropped hair, as do all the other Egyptian women, but most of the time they wear very elaborate wigs. The Roman women keep their own hair long, but the upper class women also embellish it with decoration and hairpieces, which would have been made of human hair so were probably extremely expensive and were thus also a status symbol.
By the way, at :59 the wig-maker says "The woman are more temimesdig". They translated this to "the women are more pure" but I would translate it to "the women are more innocent".
Thanks so much for your insight, Frieda! The whole subject of head-covering is so fascinating to me.
Same!
It’s interesting because I think of Chasidish women as being more worldly than the men.
@@torgostheme I wonder if they think of themselves that way! I think not?
There are many theological explanations, but stricter Hasidic sects such as Satmar and Toldos Aharon encompass and surpass the requirements of the Shulchan Aruch, Torah, and Zohar, one of which is the practice of not only married women covering their heads, but shaving their heads.
Some Haredi/Hasidic rabbinical interpretations of Jewish lead and traditions surpass what is required.
Always fascinating! Thanks!❤
Aaaah my hair is frizzy mess, I need one of those wigs 😂😂
Likewise! My real hair is full-on Russian frizz not even pretty Rapunzel curls, and I don't miss dealing with it one single bit lol.
It's sad that they take pride in their ignorance
As a frum jewish mother, watching this makes me so sad. Why don't they know anything??
They know a ton of things -- just not on why they practice certain customs.
A lot of religious people don’t know why they do everything. I can understand the official reason for that practice isn’t a big concern for them in the larger scheme of things.
Generally, I find comparisons between the Amish and the Chasidic community to be misplaced, but in this case, I don't actually think it's a bad comparison. If you watch documentaries about or interviews with Amish people and ask why they follow the Ordnung, or why specific parts of the Ordnung exist (say, why are men allowed to use hooks and eyes, but women have to use straight pins to fasten their clothes, or why can the brim of a hat only be X inches wide, or whatever), a lot of them will say, "That's the way we've always done things," or "That's how our community does things." I think in this sense, there's a lot of similarity with the more cultural aspects of the Chasidic community. If your mother shaved her head, if your grandmother shaved her head, it's natural for you to shave your head, because that's what you see growing up.
I think a lot (or at least some) of the visceral reaction specifically comes from the Holocaust and the images we've been left with of Jewish women (and men, but particularly women in the context of this discussion) having their heads shaven when arriving at concentration camps. It's such an indelible image, and in that context, it's so clearly to strip the women of their dignity, it's hard to separate those feelings from the act itself, even if the context of a Chasidic woman shaving her head as a religious/traditional observance is totally different and in some ways is a preservation of her dignity, at least in that community. Sort of the way tattoos were so taboo for so long even in quite liberal/secular segments of the Jewish community.
Thanks so much for your thoughts. So well said.
@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn Thank you for making these videos! I'm Jewish but not/have never been Chasidic, and even though I'm familiar with some Chasidic communities as an outsider, I always learn so much from the stuff you post. It's refreshing to see content about Jews in general and the Chasidic community in particular that takes a nuanced approach instead of being either, "They're all crazy, it's a cult," or, "Everything about this way of life is noble, and any other approach to Judaism is watered down/too 'modern.'"
Interesting comparison to the Amish and I have also seen that in interviews I’ve watched from various communities. And interesting point about head shaving and tattoos related to the Holocaust; I had not thought of that before. Particularly the tattoo part.
What I found amazing was learning there were women who felt it was just better to cover their heads twice, ie tichel on wig, beret on wig, and such. To follow Law is best, to make up extra new laws to just to prove how specially frum they were/are, well seemed to be show-offy.
that how religion can be
That’s something you find in all religions, for better or worse. Back when it was the norm for Catholics to give something up during Lent as a penance, there were often problems in religious communities and schools over who could come up with the most extreme penances for themselves, so they could look more pious than anyone else, to the point that heads of schools would have to intervene and make strict rules limiting the penances students were allowed to do. In a novel I’ve read about a Catholic girls school, a girl is found to be walking around with stones in her shoes and is made to take them out in front of the whole school, while the headmistress nun sternly berates her for showing off.
As an Orthodox Jewish woman who covers her hair, I have always had a very hard time understanding why women of certain Chassidic sects shave their heads. I assumed that the women who did it know the reason. Despite seeing that these women don't, I find their adherence to tradition very admirable and comforting. While I personally like to know the reasons for everything I do, there is something beautiful about pure, simple faith in the teachings of one's rabbis.
I do agree that we have lost a sense of emunah peshutah. It's minhag and I don't think that that is really taught as a thing in itself, to know the difference between Halacha and minhag. Like with Pesach, really. By us, we peel all the vegetable and don't use garlic. I have a sister in law who comes from Satmar and doesn't use oil on Pesach, only schmaltz. We both know what we're doing is minhag, and drive ourselves nuts (ok, Pesach, but no pun intended) anyway lol.
My family also did all those things on Pesach. We considered it chumrah and put a great premium on increasing chumras. Like going a little extra for Hashem.
but they should have a choice! the husband also if he prefers
it and she doesn't mind
All cultures have unique norms, customs, & traditions they have inherited from their ancestors. These may seem odd or even barbaric from the perspective of those outside the culture but meh so what. My people (Māori ) tattoo their faces and the men will do ritual nudity during ceremonies to demonstrate their purity if that's the right word. I love how much the Jews cling to their culture. It's beautiful to see.
In Buddhism, shaving one's head, also known as hair off, signifies renunciation and letting go of the ego.
do female monks do it too?
This is interesting!! Is there more? I cover my hair...
This is sadly all there is - it's a snippet from the documentary 93Queen. The documentary isn't about hair covering, it's about women forming an emergency response corps.
Where is the Halacha?
There's no hologa that says you need to shave your hair as a woman. But just some Jewish communities do it because supposedly there is a couple of stitching somewhere that claims that a married woman's hair gives off a negative light into the world. The same way that a married man's beard gives off a good light into the world.
Most of the strictest ultra-orthodox communities do not follow this practice.
There is TRADITION Zelde!
Yes. Tradition vs Halakha quite often. A favorite topic for me!
Halacha is to cover. This is minhag.
Exactly
It was interesting, I don't have a problem with women who shave their hair. Who am I to tell them they need to articulate why they do whatever it happens to be? They have no problem with the practice, that is enough for me.
Why cover your hair when it’s been shaved off, so no hair to cover anyway?
Though a kabbalistic reason is given (‘klippah’) and the example our sages in the Talmud bring about ‘eishes Kimchis’ (‘the wife of Kimchis’) who kept her hair covered even within the confines of her home -the requirement for a married woman to have her hair covered is meant to keep it hidden from men other than her husband-I believe that 1. These were examples of exceptional levels of purity not obligated upon all women but rather described as lofty ideals, and 2. I think that having women completely shave their hair took on greater urgency in 18th and 19th century Eastern Europe to maintain strict personal hygiene in the face of fear of disease and contagion.
great comment
"Though a kabbalistic reason " as far as i know the Arizal said it forbbiden for a woman to shave her head as it is needed for the 'existence of rigour' in the world. Maimonides says for a woman to shave her hair is like wearing a man's garment which forbidden in the Torah. Do you have a kabbalistic reason?
When are you going to do a video on the tunnels and rampant child abuse among the Satmar?
The tunnel has nothing to do with Satmar
It really makes me sad that the woman in this video doesn't know why she covers her hair. I don't know if she was never taught it, or she has forgotten over the years. That a married woman should cover her hair has two sources that I was taught: (1) that the Sotah is described as letting down her hair (which is interpreted as uncovering) when she is tested regarding having possibly been unfaithful; (2) that at the time of chuppah, the Schechina (presence of Gd) rests upon the bride and while it departs after the chuppah itself, it remains with the hair, making it too holy to be exposed in the routine of daily life, thus it's covered. Covering hair is covering hair. As long as it's covered you're fulfilling the Halacha. Can be with anything. *HOW* the hair is covered is a matter of minhag (custom) of different communities -- not only physical communities but also traditional communities, ie a Satmar woman will likely cover her hair like other Satmar women (though for sure there are differences within Satmar as well, some families being more modern than others) regardless of where she lives. Lubavitch women all traditionally cover our hair with a Sheitel (wig), and the Lubavitcher Rebbe specifically spoke about being proud to follow Halacha and set a good example to others, that a woman can be modest, follow the Halacha, and look well-groomed at the same time. It's not there to make you feel ugly, dowdy, or unattractive. It is not a Lubavitch custom to shave, though there are those who do. In Satmar, it was always explained to me that this was not about covering so much as it was about mikvah, that there shouldn't be any chance of a chatzitzah (separation) that would prevent the water of the mikvah from getting to every part of the body. So that the hair shouldn't float on the top of the water (like we all know happens when we go swimming, for example), or that the hair should be tangled (which is also considered a chatzitzah), some (and not only Satmar and not only Chassidim) have the custom in their community to shave their head. Some women who keep their head covered all the time (ie including while sleeping) just shave their head bc it's easier than looking after their hair only to cover it, and then there's no worrying about dyeing it to match the hair of the wig (so you don't see white or gray hair at the very edge by the face, for example). Not everyone loves wearing Sheitels, though I happen to enjoy it, because I've had a hate-hate relationship with my hair my whole life. 😂
But you are Chabad-Lubavich! That's probably why knowing why is a big deal. To these women, it isn't.
Also, mind you kallahs go to the mikvah with hair, so if immersion with hair were an issue, wouldn't the kallah shave before her first mikvah visit?
@@FriedaVizelBrooklyn yeah it's complicated. True the Rebbe wanted any of us to be prepared to go on shlichus and be able to teach and explain to anyone who wanted to know more or in fact to start keeping mitzvahs that are more complicated.
I live in a large frum community that is not primarily Lubavitch by any means, and I have hosted (not taught) Taharas HaMishpacha review sessions for married women, and I've been amazed at how many Chassidishe women have been doing things like counting the days properly wrong for YEARS because they were taught by an older sister for example as opposed to someone who was trained by rabbonim, and holding by chumrahs that they THINK are Halacha bc they were never taught the difference. (I believe that a lot of the "fertility problems" in the frum world are more about chumrahs than they are about anything medical, but that's a separate discussion.) I've also been a mikvah lady just by circumstance at a private mikvah, and we are definitely taught to make sure that the hair is completely submerged and don't just say "kosher" unless we have really seen it to be such. In that, there are minhagim in terms of the position one submerges at that can help from the hair coming up to the surface. The most common position is the most likely to cause issues in that, in fact.
There are also plenty of frum women who never shave and it's a question of how long they keep their hair in general, so it doesn't matter Kallah vs, the rest of the time. They just have to keep all of these things in mind. The Rebbe said that our custom isn't to shave (though there were definitely women who did, more in previous generations than now for sure), but that in general it should be kept short bc of mikvah (I asked my Rov, who is of the older generation), but that it shouldn't be such that it makes her unattractive to her husband. But then there are also women who keep their hair covered ALL the time, so there's more leeway...... so many more differences of opinion and personal situations and marital relationships than people think there are. 😊
Very interesting comment. Thanks for sharing. Being a mikvah lady must be interesting! And yeah, well said in your last sentence!
Wait.....I couldn't hear clearly....the woman doesn't know why she shaves or why she covers? Which doesn't she know?
@@FriedaVizelBrooklynyes I don't think has anything to do with mikvah at all or the women in time of Gemara would be shaving and it's clear from sources they're not. I've heard 3 reasons and the real answer would prob stem from when/where the chumra started 1) kabbalistic reasons 2) to prevent the uncovering that was beginning to happen in various other parts of Europe 3) bec of the women being kidnapped and raped by the rulers so they sought to make the married women less attractive to them......the third seems to me the least true bec then why wouldn't they shave the heads of single girls......but could be the former 2 have merit.
I have more than a few Christian friends who don’t know why they take communion at church. Seems a bit similar to these women.
It's clear in the Bible. Jesus said to do it in remembrance of Him. The bread represents His body and the wine represents His blood. Its a remembrance of the price he paid for our sins on the cross.
Of course they know why; they just aren’t comfortable explaining it to you because you don’t share their faith. Sorry if that sounds blunt, but religious people often prefer not to talk in depth about their faith with someone outside their faith. It’s not meant as a slight.
It is against the halacha to wear a long wig
Why shave your hair then wear a human hair wig?
The same reason they do many things around their religious cult laws - to trick god, so to speak.
Whether it’s wearing a human hair wig to get around the law if not showing your hair as a woman, or using gadgets to keep the lights on when needed on the sabbath, to get around the law of not partaking in work on that day (I.e a light switch is seen as lighting a fire - an act forbidden on the sabbath, or encircling a whole neighbourhood in a holy piece of string, to get around the law of not carrying things (I.e. working) on the sabbath, with the string creating a safe zone in which it’s allowed to carry things.
Nonsense, the lot of it.
@@XYZ-td6snDefinately not. No one thinks that God Almighty can be outwitted, and all the halachic tricks you can think of are certainly controversial within various parts of Orthodox Judaism (if anything, Satmar are the group that does not accept Eruvin's solution at all). It's a matter of how different groups interpret the different halachic laws. And as far as wigs are concerned, yes, shaving your hair and wearing a wig made of human hair is definitely not an acceptable act in most communities and many are against it, the vast majority either simply wear a wig over the natural hair, or cover the natural hair with a head covering.
To start, most orthodox Jewish women do not shave their hair; they simply cover it.
A main reason why a wig is considered acceptable as a head-covering is because for a married Jewish woman, covering one’s hair is not an issue of modesty; it’s that her hair is forbidden to everyone except her husband and immediate family. So as long as the hair on your head is not yours/your natural hair (ie. a wig), you’re good. You know that YOUR hair is not being seen by anyone else, and that’s what’s important.
Regarding the shaving, some practice it as a stringency-If it’s so egregious for others to see your hair, best not have any at all.
But again, many don’t agree with that stringency, and simply cover their hair with a wig, hat, scarf, etc.
@@XYZ-td6snIt makes me laugh that you simply don't know what you're talking about! 😂😂😂😂😂
Why do you feel the need to attack?
MY ONLY question: Why always so much Controversy over Wigs, wig makers and The fibers used!
I don't understand the reason for this practice because in the Tanakh the custom of head shaving is for female war captives ( Deuteronomy 21: 10 to 14).
I feel like I just did something wrong by watching this! 😄
Ha, why?
Ok, they shave their head then put on a wig. As long as they are not shaving my hair, why should I care? It’s their choice for their body.
Its not always their choice. They're told its a big sin if they don't, and if they want to stop they can't
Need a longer in-depth video. This is too short; did not answer the question.
Check out my interview with Pearl about the topic!
תמימותדיג means naive not pure.
new yahk bby
I see it as another way to oppress women.
There is freedom in Jesus.
This comment is not helpful and in fact it's inappropriate to put here.
YES!!!! Jesus is the Light and the Only Way !! 💗✝
@@413smr It is extremely helpful . Jesus is the Light and the Only Way ! 💗✝
@@413smr I've seen religious abuse in the church too and it was Jesus and His word that sets people free. "where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty"